Zeroising mechanism.



A. POSTANS. v ZEROISING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.27, 1907.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. J. POSTANS. ZEROISING HEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27,

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ed within the sleeve.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR JAMES POSTANS, or LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR To ADDER CASH REGISTER SYNDICATE LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND.

ZEROISING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application filed August 27, 1907. Serial No. 390,334.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, ARTHUR JAMES POSTANS, a subject of the King of England, and residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zeroising Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to zeroising mechanism and is applicable to any number of rotatable recording or indicating units or drums such as are used in calculating machines or cash registers.

In zeroising mechanism as at present constructed for these machines a shaft has been used carrying setting pins and arranged to move endwise as well as to rotate. To zeroise with this arrangement it is necessary to first move the shaft endwise for the purpose ofbringing the setting pins into position for engagement with their respective units or drums and then to rotate the shaft 'to bring the drums around to the zero posias the latter rotates the setting fingers are first brought into position to engage the drums and then advanced by the'eontinued rotation of the shaft to the zeroising position.

Preferably the setting-fingers take the form of spring-controlled pins carried by a rotatable sleeve and made to bear by means of their springs against a cam shaft mount- Normally the shaft within the sleeve is so situated that the pins are retained in their nearest position to the center of the shaft but when zeroising is to be effected the shaft is rotated so that the cams move the pins radially outward,where by they are broughtinto the requisite posi tion for engaging the drums.

The sleeve carrying the zeroising fingers receives its movement from the cam shaft referred to, but the means of connection is such that the cam shaft has a certain amount of free movement relatively to the sleeve in order that the fingers may be broughtinto position as stated before the sleeve is rotated. To hold the sleeve stationary while the cam shaft performs the first portion of its movement a retarding device is em-- a cam or .notched disk having a spring-con trolled follower which rises out of the notch when the sleeve is engaged and rotated by the cam shaft. This outward 'movement of the follower is utilized through the medium of other mechanism to release the pawls which otherwise prevent the movement of the drums inthe direction for zeroising.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 mounted free on a rotatable sleeve B carried in brackets 13*. These drums may have on their peripheries a series of numbers; a. cipher only is'shown in the drawings. The numbers may be raised to serve as type whereby the amount recorded by the drums can be printed when brought into contact with suitable apparatus or the numbers may be arranged to appear before an inspection orifice in the machine wherein the zeroising mechanism is employed, so that the amount can be read therefrom at sight. The normal driving mechanism for the drum is of known construction and comprises a toothed quadrant A which engages a pinion A also mounted free upon the sleeve B. The pinion carrie's a disk A whereon is pivoted at A a spring-controlled pawl A. Each drum has secured to it. either directly or through the medium of a sleeve A a disk A having a series of pins A" which serve as teeth wherewith the pawl A cooperates.

In the operation of the machine the drums are actuated by movement of the quadrants A 'hen a quadrant is moved in the direction of the arrow Fig. .4, it draws the pawl A back'over the pins A but on the return movement the pawl engages with the last pin over which it was withdrawn and carries the drum A around with it until it again arrives at the position of rest. It will thus be seen that each of the drums is brought around to varying positions according to the number of keys operated and the 'object of the present invention is to provide means for zeroising them, that is to bring the drum is moving in the normal direction, the parts being such that when the shaft is 60 see the arrow Fig. '2, but when the drum is rotated so Y moved in the reverse direction as for zeroising it engages the pin A when the drum has been brought around to the zero position. In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in the position they occupy when the shaft C has just completed its movement and it will be seen that the pin A is locked between the pin B and the detent F, the drum A being in the zero position.

The quadrant C is referably spring-controlled so that when t e key whereby it was advanced is released it automatically returns carrying with it the shaft C. During the first quarter of a revolution in the return movement of the shaft C the sleeve B may or may not move with it, that is to say if the friction between the sleeve and shaft is greater than that between the sleeve and its.

bearings B* the sleeve will follow the shaft, but if the reverse isthe case the sleeve will be held by the bearing until the pin 0 comes into contact with the pin B", when the sleeve will be carried around until the shaft comes to rest at its normal position. When the shaft has come to rest, the sleeve B will have been returned to the position shown in Fig. 3 so thatthe detent D once again engages the notch B of the disk B. It will be seen that if the sleeve is not held by the bearing, the sleeve B will travel around with the shaft until the detent. D enters the notch B when the sleeve will be arrested and the shaft C will continue its movement independently until the pin C once again lies against the pin 13*. 'As the detent D drops into the notch B it rocks the shaft E back to its release position so that the pawls A of the drums are again operative.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In zeroising mechanism for a recording machine, the combination of a shaft (G) having in it a transversely disposed recess (0), a sleeve rotatably mounted thereon, means for engagingthe shaft and sleeve by rotating the former, such means however permitting a limited amount of independent movement, a rotatable recording unit mounted co-axially with the sleeve, an approximately radially disposed pocket or guide in the sleeve, a pin carried in the pocket of the sleeve and free to slide therein, the inner end of the pin lying normally in the recess (0) of the shaft (C) and a spring also mounted within the pocket to maintain the pin in such position that its inner end always bears against the shaft (C) the arrangement of era the recessed with at the shaft is turned from the pin and the full portion is brought beneath it, the pin is first moved radially outward to engage the recording unit and is then moved in a circular path to carry the unit to the zero position, substantially as set forth.

2. In zeroising mechanism for-a recording machine the combination of, a rotatable shaft (0) having in it a recess (G a sleeve rotatably mounted thereon, arotatable recording unit .mounted co-axially with the sleeve, a setting-finger carried by the sleeve and having a part that extends through the sleeve and normally lies in the recess (C in the shaft (C), yielding means for maintaining such part of the setting-finger in contact with the shaft (C), means for engaging the shaft with the sleeve, said means permitting a given amount of independent movement of these two parts, and means to retard the shaft until it is positively engaged by the sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In zeroising mechanism for a recording machine the combination of, a rotatable shaft (C) having in it a recess (G a sleeve rotatably mounted thereon, a rotatable recording unit mounted co-axially with the sleeve and havin'ga propelling pawl, a setting-finger carried by the sleeve and having a part that extends through the sleeve and normally lies in the recess (C in the shaft (C), yielding means for maintaining such part of the setting finger in contact with the shaft (C), means for engaging the shaft (C) with the sleeve such means permitting a given amount of independent movement of these two parts, a cam-member on the shaft, a yieldingly controlled detent-follower engaged with the cam-member and a releasing member operatively connected with the follower in such manner that when the shaft is turned from its normal position by the rotation of the sleeve the consequent displacement of the follower causes the arm to strike the driving pawl of the recording unit and thereby disengage it therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR JAMES POSTANS.

Witnesses:

A. M. HAYWARD, HARRY B. BRIDGE. 

